Actions speak louder than voice.

"I want to rest. Please give me a rest. "Every day, she always woke up to her mother's angry
voice. She immediately hops out of bed and fixes it, afraid that her mother will come upstairs
and slap her again to wake her up. Since she was young, she had been fearful of her mother's
angry voice. It always made her think that she had to be careful not to make any mistakes or
else her mother would beat her up. That was always her thought every time her mother was
around. She doesn't want to be in their house for so long. But fate played with her when the
pandemic struck. Her name is Vincent Arkray Vezallius, and her mother is Ma. Emilia Vezallius.
She wandered through the school campus with her six friends, Chessy, Meryl, Rain, Alljoy,
Teppy, and Kisses. Arkray was behind them while walking. Arkray was busy thinking about
where she would be after school because she didn't want to go home early. She would only
hear her mother's voice, and she hated it. Amidst her thinking, Meryl interrupted her, asking if
she would come to Kisses' house after school. She agreed since she didn't want to be in their
house yet.
At Kisses' house, they talk about the recent news about the spreading virus that came from
China, and it is said that it was already here in the Philippines. So, they start talking and assume
that the school year is about to be stopped. They are all currently in grade 10 and are supposed
to graduate as junior high school completers in 2019-2020.
The pandemic took place, and all the schools were closed. While most students were glad,
Arkray felt the opposite. She doesn't want to be in their house because she feels suffocated,
but she can't do anything about it. Schools are still closed, and the virus is still contagious.
However, the grade 10 graduation ceremony was broadcast live on Facebook. Arkray and her
friend were ecstatic that they were all honor students. Especially Alljoy, since she's the
valedictorian of their batch. Arkray and her friends were proud of themselves. In just a matter
of time, Arkray felt genuinely happy.
However, those happy moments were just a glimpse. After the show, Arkray turned around,
and the feeling of being inside the house rushed into her mind. She feels so stifled. The moment
she opened her eyes, her mother called her. Her mother congratulates her, but all she can do is
make a fake smile. She knows that after that day, her mother will still come back to her daily
behavior.
Another day passed. Her mother told her that she would be the one to do all of the dishes and
clean the house every day, beginning the day both of her sisters started working. She didn't
complain, since who would be the one to do that? It was just her. Every day, she is exhausted
after washing the dishes. She will begin to clean the house, and then when her mother cooks,
she will clean the kitchen again. The cycle was all about washing the dishes and cleaning the
house. And it was exhausting for her. She doesn't even know why the place is always a mess. It
was more likely struct by a storm. She would be done when all the members of the family were
already asleep.
Over time, the Department of Education instituted a new norm. All schoolwork would be
completed online via social media apps such as Facebook, Messenger, Google Meet, Zoom, etc.
Arkray hates it because it means that she will still be in their house for a long time.
Arkray is currently enrolled as a grade 11 student, and the blended learning was about to end
when she decided not to talk to her mother. She will only listen to her, but she will not speak to
her. She wanted to make her mind at peace when her mother was around. She will act as if her
mother is not around. She tried to end those feelings that her mother planted in her mind when
she was young. She wanted to eradicate all of the fear she was feeling every time she saw her
mother.
A week passed, and she noticed her mother had already seen her sudden silence. Her mother
didn't bother to confront her; she just kept silent and did her daily tasks. Little by little, she
noticed that her mother was being gentle when talking to her. Her voice was so calm, and she
was shocked, since the last time she checked, her mother's voice was always mad while talking
and ordering her.
A month has passed, and she can already see the changes between her and her mother. They
didn't do the "deep talks." Her mother just started acting weird, she thought. She began to
notice her mother's weirdness when she didn't hear her mother's angry voice when she woke
up, specifically that her mother didn't wake her up just to do all the chores. She felt amused.
Because it was the first time in the pandemic, she felt light and bright when she woke up. She
was shocked when she came downstairs because her mother had already done the dishes and
cleaned the kitchen. A secret smile was plastered on her face. Her mother felt her presence and
turned to her. Her mother smiled at her and told her to sit down and eat breakfast. She kept
silent and just nodded.
Eventually, she realized that she didn't feel suffocated when her mother was around. She
noticed changes in their house. She often smiled and laughed when her mother was joking. She
has already begun to eat with her mother. She started talking again and started to share her
thoughts with the family. Everything felt very comforting. She yearned for this feeling. And now
that she's had a taste of it, she's grateful. She feels contented now. She can adequately rest
right now.